Amazon Expedition – Day 19

To quote Mike Horn, “If a day goes past and you do not learn anything, it is a waste of a day.” I think it is fair to say that throughout our entire adventure in the Amazon, not a single day has gone past where we have not absorbed something new. In most cases, we have discovered things we would never have learnt in the shelter of our protected home environments. Today, we were given responsibility and thrown way out of our comfort zones. We listened to Mike, to each other and to ourselves and we were inspired by the stories we heard and the unforgettable experiences we shared together. We read books and wrote diaries, played music and enjoyed the incredible atmosphere of the Amazon River. Most importantly, we had a lot of fun learning more than we ever thought possible.

During the expedition, we have opened our minds to different ways of learning. This morning, we created a rap, rhyming lyrics to a beat with gangster style. Shruthi, Lani and I soaked up the morning sun on the bow while writing a song about PANGAEA and the Young Explorers Program. We were trusted to work in teams to navigate the boat around floating grass, submerged logs and sand banks as we cover huge miles on route to Belem. In these situations of responsibility, we ventured outside our comfort zones in order to open our minds and learn about our environment and ourselves. We chatted with Mike and heard some stories of his many life experiences.

Mike has met some of the world’s most inspirational people, and his extraordinary achievements have shaped who he is. He knows himself and what he wants in life so well, making him confident in everything he does. However, he has never stopped learning and I am sure this is one of the key reasons that he is so successful at what he does.

I know that the entire experience of the Amazon Expedition has immeasurably taught us lessons of life, our changing environment and above all, ourselves. I have never had so much fun stretching my limits or been so inspired by my surroundings. I have loved sharing these unforgettable experiences with everyone on board PANGAEA and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn so much on this wild adventure down the Amazon!